All vehicles in the world have a main focus on safety. The most important and useful of all automotive safety devices is the common seat belt. Designed to restrain both drivers and passengers during a crash, seat belts are found in the vast majority of cars, buses and trucks on the road. During a crash, properly fastened safety belts distribute the forces of rapid deceleration over larger and stronger parts of a person's body, such as hips, chest and shoulders. Stretching slightly to slow the body down and increase stopping distance, a properly buckled seat belt is crucial to the well-being of those involved in minor fender benders and severe automobile crashes alike.
Although wearing a contemporary seat belt (as shown in FIG. 5) when traveling in a car, van or truck is a key factor in surviving an accident and is in fact, mandatory in most states, these safety implements present a drawback. In the event of an impact, there are times that the seat belt turns the motorist into a virtual prisoner. Impossible to release, the seat belt traps the occupants of the vehicle, making it difficult for them to escape the wrecked car and for rescue personnel to free them. It is an extremely scary, and potentially deadly, scenario when one is trapped in a burning vehicle or submerged in water and is unable to get to safety because of being trapped by a seat belt. Many lives, after vehicle collisions, are in danger by being stuck in the safety belt. A matter of seconds after a collision are crucial; people could be stuck by a crushed car, or knocked out from the impact being unable to release the safety belt. Having it automated allows for one less way of being trapped. If someone has to pull them out it can takes time; being already released gives precious seconds in a life or death situation.
The prior art has put forth several designs for seatbelt release devices. Among these are:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,574,911 to Lawrence A. North describes a seat belt buckle emergency release system that is electrically actuated after the vehicle has come to rest.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,162,715 to George Coulonbe describes an automatic releasing seat belt. Upon impact, the sensors operate a timer which disposes the solenoid into an activated condition releasing all of the belt mechanisms electrically coupled to it.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,738 to Shigeichi Shimizu describes an automatic seat belt unlocking device mechanically configured with a lock box structure, a mounting structure and a releasable device which is operably connected between the mounting structure and the locking lever.
None of these prior art references describe the present invention. As such, there is a need for an automated safety belt release in case of a collision. Saving time on one step could mean life or death.